German Leitmotiv, lit. - leading motive

Relatively short music. turnover (w.h. melody, sometimes a melody with harmonization, assigned specific instrument and so on.; in some cases, dep. harmony or sequence of harmonies, rhythmic. figure, instr. timbre), repeated repeatedly throughout the music. prod. and serving as a designation and characteristic of a certain person, object, phenomenon, emotion or abstract concept (L., expressed by harmony, sometimes called leitharmony, expressed by timbre - leittimbre, etc.). L. is most often used in music theater. genres and software tools. music. He has become one of the most important expressions. funds back in the 1st half. 19th century The term itself came into use a little later. It is usually attributed to him. philologist G. Wolzogen, who wrote about Wagner’s operas (1876); in fact, even before Wolzogen, the term "L." applied by F. W. Jens in his work on K. M. Weber (1871). Despite the inaccuracy and convention of the term, it quickly spread and gained recognition not only in musicology, but also in Everyday life, having become a common noun to designate the dominant, constantly recurring moments in human activity, surrounding life phenomena, etc.

In music prod. Along with the expressive and semantic function, l. also performs a constructive (thematically unifying, formative). Similar tasks until the 19th century. usually resolved separately in separate music genres: means of vivid characteristic typical. situations and emotional states were developed in opera of the 17th and 18th centuries, but the end-to-end implementation of a single muses. themes were used in ancient polyphonics. forms (see Cantus firmus). The principle of L. was already outlined in one of the most early operas("Orpheus" by Monteverdi, 1607), however, in subsequent operatic works did not receive development due to the crystallization of isolated woks in opera music. forms conc. plan. Repetitions musical-thematic constructions separated by other thematic. material, were encountered only in isolated cases (certain operas by J. B. Lully, A. Scarlatti). Only at the end. 18th century L.'s technique gradually takes shape in the late operas of W. A. ​​Mozart and in the operas of the French. composers of the era Great French. revolution - A. Grétry, J. Lesuera, E. Megulya, L. Cherubini. True story L. begins during the development of music. romanticism and is primarily associated with it. romantic opera (E. T. A. Hoffmann, K. M. Weber, G. Marschner). At the same time, L. becomes one of the means of implementing the basic. ideological content of the opera. So, the confrontation between the light and dark forces in Weber's opera "Free Shooter" (1821) was reflected in the development of cross-cutting themes and motifs, united in two contrasting groups. R. Wagner, developing Weber's principles, applied a series of lines in the opera The Flying Dutchman (1842); The climaxes of the drama are marked by the appearance and interaction of the leitmotifs of the Dutchman and Senta, symbolizing the same time. "curse" and "redemption".

The Dutchman's leitmotif.

Senta's leitmotif.

Wagner's most important achievement was the creation and development of music. dramaturgy, main on the L system. It received its most complete expression in his later music. dramas, especially in the tetralogy “The Ring of the Nibelung”, where the muses are not continuous. images are almost completely absent, and L. not only reflect the key moments of the dramas. actions, but also permeate the entire musical, especially. orchestral, fabric made. They announce the appearance of heroes on stage, “reinforce” verbal mention of them, reveal their feelings and thoughts, and anticipate further events; sometimes polyphonic a connection or sequence of L. reflects the cause-and-effect relationships of events; in pictorial depiction. episodes (the woods of the Rhine, the element of fire, the rustle of the forest) they turn into background figurations. Such a system, however, was fraught with a contradiction: the oversaturation of L.’s music weakened the impact of each of them and complicated the perception of the whole. Modern According to Wagner, composers and his followers avoided the excessive complexity of the L system. At the same time, the dramaturgist. The importance of l. was recognized by most composers of the 19th century, who often came to the use of l. independently of Wagner. In France from the 20-30s. 19th century every new stage in the development of the opera shows a gradual but steady increase in dramaturgy. roles of L. (J. Meyerbeer - C. Gounod - J. Wiese - J. Massenet - C. Debussy). In Italy they are independent. G. Verdi took a position regarding L.: he preferred to express only the center with the help of L. the idea of ​​opera and refused to use the L. system (with the exception of Aida, 1871). L. acquired greater importance in the operas of the verists and G. Puccini. Russia has its own musical-thematic principles. repetitions back in the 30s. developed by M. I. Glinka (opera "Ivan Susanin"). L. came to relatively widespread use in the 2nd half. 19th century P. I. Tchaikovsky, M. P. Mussorgsky, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov. Some of the latter's operas are noted for their creativity. implementation Wagnerian principles(especially "Mlada", 1890); at the same time, he introduces a lot of new things into the interpretation of L. - into their formation and development. Russian classics generally reject the extremes of the Wagnerian system.

An attempt to use the principle of linearity in ballet music was already made by A. Adam in “Giselle” (1841), but the system of linearization was used especially fruitfully by L. Delibes in “Coppelia” (1870). L.'s role is also significant in Tchaikovsky's ballets. The specifics of the genre have brought forward another problem of cross-cutting dramaturgy - choreographic. L. In the ballet “Giselle” (ballet by J. Coralli and J. Perrot), a similar function is performed by the so-called. pas ballot. The problem of close interaction between choreographic and musical performances was successfully solved in the Soviet Union. ballet ("Spartacus" by A. I. Khachaturian - L. V. Yakobson, Yu. N. Grigorovich, "Cinderella" by S. S. Prokofiev - K. M. Sergeev, etc.).

In instr. L. music also began to be widely used in the 19th century. Impact of music. t-ra played an important role in this, but will not exclude it. role. Technique for carrying out the whole play by k.-l. characteristic motif was developed by the French. 18th century harpsichordists ("Cuckoo" by K. Daken and others) and was raised to a higher level by the Viennese classics (1st movement of Mozart's "Jupiter" symphony). Developing these traditions in relation to more focused and clearly expressed ideological concepts, L. Beethoven came close to the principle of L. (Appassionata sonata, part 1, Egmont overture, and especially the 5th symphony).

Of fundamental importance for the establishment of L. in the program symphony was G. Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique (1830), in which a melodious melody runs through all 5 parts, sometimes changing, designated in the author’s program as the “beloved theme”:

L., used in a similar way in the symphony “Harold in Italy” (1834) by Berlioz, is supplemented by the timbre characteristics of the hero (solo viola). As a conventional “portrait” of the main character, L. firmly established himself in the symphony. prod. program-plot type ("Tamara" by Balakirev, "Manfred" by Tchaikovsky, "Till Eulenspiegel" by R. Strauss, etc.). In the suite “Scheherazade” by Rimsky-Korsakov (1888), the formidable Shahriar and the gentle Sheherazade are depicted through contrasting colors, but in a number of cases, as the composer himself points out, these thematic themes. elements serve purely constructive purposes, losing their “personalized” character.

Shahriar's leitmotif.

Leitmotif of Scheherazade.

Main part of Part I (“Sea”).

Side game of Part I.

Anti-Wagnerian and anti-romanticism, which intensified after the First World War of 1914-18. trends have noticeably reduced the fundamental dramaturgy. the role of L. At the same time, he retained the importance of one of the means of cross-cutting music. development. Examples include many outstanding production diff. genres: the operas “Wozzeck” by Berg and “War and Peace” by Prokofiev, the oratorio “Joan of Arc at the stake” by Honegger, the ballets “Petrushka” by Stravinsky, “Romeo and Juliet” by Prokofiev, Shostakovich’s 11th symphony, etc.

The wealth of experience accumulated in the field of application of lasers over almost two centuries makes it possible to characterize its most important features. L. is predominant. instr. means, although it can also sound in a wok. parts of operas and oratorios. In the latter case, L. is only a wok. melody, whereas in instr. (orchestral) form, the degree of its concreteness and figurative specificity increases due to harmony, polyphony, wider register and dynamic. range, as well as specific. instr. timbre. Orc. L., complementing and explaining what is said in words or not expressed at all, becomes especially effective. This is the appearance of L. Siegfried in the finale of “Valkyrie” (when the hero has not yet been born and is not named) or the sound of L. Ivan the Terrible in that scene of the opera “Pskovite”, where we are talking about Olga’s unknown father. The significance of such L. in depicting the psychology of the hero is very great, for example. in the 4th scene of the opera" Queen of Spades", where L. Countess, interrupted by pauses,

reflects at the same time. Herman's desire to immediately learn the fatal secret and his hesitation.

For the sake of the necessary correspondence between music and action, L. is often carried out in conditions of a completely clear stage scenario. situations. A reasonable combination of through and non-through images contributes to a more prominent selection of L.

The functions of L., in principle, can be performed by various. elements of music language, taken separately (leithharmonies, leittimbres, leittonality, leitrhythms), but their interaction is most typical with the dominance of melodic. beginning (cross-cutting theme, phrase, motive). Relates. brevity - natural. a condition for the convenient involvement of L. in general music. development. There are often cases when a poem, expressed initially as a complete theme, is later divided into sections. elements that independently perform the functions of end-to-end characteristics (this is typical of Wagner’s leitmotif technique); similar fragmentation of L. is found in instruments. music - in symphonies, in which the main theme of the 1st movement, in a shortened form, plays the role of L. in further parts of the cycle (Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique and Dvorak's 9th Symphony). There is also a reverse process, when a bright cross-cutting theme is gradually formed from the department. precursor elements (typical of the methods of Verdi and Rimsky-Korsakov). As a rule, L. requires particularly concentrated expressiveness and sharpened characterization, which ensures easy recognition throughout the production. Last condition limits the modifications of lighting, as opposed to monothematic techniques. transformations in F. Liszt and his followers.

To the music theater prod. Each L., as a rule, is introduced at the moment when its meaning immediately becomes clear thanks to the corresponding text of the wok. parties, the characteristics of the situation and the behavior of the characters. In the symphony music, the explanation of the meaning of L. is served by the author’s program or department. author's instructions regarding the main plan. The lack of visual and verbal guidelines during the development of music greatly limits the use of the L system here.

L.'s brevity and vivid character usually determine its special position in tradition. music forms where it rarely plays the role of one of the indispensable components of the form (the refrain of the rondo, the main themes of the sonata Allegro), but more often it unexpectedly invades the various. its sections. At the same time, in free compositions, recitative scenes and large productions. theater. plan, taken as a whole, L. can play an important formative role, providing them with musical thematic. unity.

Literature: Rimsky-Korsakov N.A., "The Snow Maiden" - a spring fairy tale (1905), "RMG", 1908, No. 39/40; by him, Wagner and Dargomyzhsky (1892), in his book: Musical articles and notes, 1869-1907, St. Petersburg, 1911 ( full text both articles, Complete. collection soch., vol. 2 and 4, M., 1960-63); Asafiev B.V., Musical form as a process, M., 1930, (together with book 2), L., 1963; Druskin M. S., Questions of musical dramaturgy of opera, Leningrad, 1952; Yarustovsky B. M., Dramaturgy of Russian opera classics, M., 1952, 1953; Sokolov O., Leitmotifs of the opera "Pskovian Woman", in: Proceedings of the Department of Music Theory Moscow. conservatory, vol. 1, M., 1960; Protopopov Vl., “Ivan Susanin” Glinka, M., 1961, p. 242-83; Bogdanov-Berezovsky V.M., Articles about ballet, L., 1962, p. 48, 73-74; Wagner R., Oper und Drama, Lpz., 1852; the same, Sämtliche Schriften und Dichtung (Volksausgabe), Bd 3-4, Lpz., (o. j.) (Russian translation - Opera and Drama, M., 1906); his, Eine Mitteilung an meine Freunde (1851), ibid., Bd 4, Lpz., (o. j.); his, ьber die Anwendung der Musik auf das Drama, in the same place, Bd 10, Lpz., (o. j.) (in Russian translation - On the application of music to drama, in his collection: Selected articles, M., 1935 ); Federlein G., Ber "Rheingold" von R. Wagner. Versuch einer musikalischen Interpretation, "Musikalisches Wochenblatt", 1871, (Bd) 2; Jähns Fr. W., S. M. Weber in seinen Werken, V., 1871; Wolzogen H. von, Motive in R. Wagners "Siegfried", "Musikalisches Wochenblatt", 1876, (Bd) 7; same, Thematischer Leitfaden durch die Musik zu R. Wagners Festspiel "Der Ring der Nibelungen", Lpz., 1876; his, Motive in Wagners "Götterdämmerung", "Musikalisches Wochenblatt", 1877-1879, (Bd) 8-10; Haraszti E., Le probleme du Leitmotiv, "RM", 1923, (v.) 4; Abraham G., The Leitmotiv since Wagner, "ML", 1925, (v.) 6; Bernet-Kempers K. Th., Herinneringsmotieven leitmotieven, grondthemas, Amst. - P., 1929; Wörner K., Beiträge zur Geschichte des Leitmotivs in der Oper, "ZfMw", 1931, Jahrg. 14, H. 3; Engländer R., Zur Geschichte des Leitmotivs, "ZfMw", 1932, Jahrg. 14, H. 7; Matter J., La fonction psychologique du leitmotiv wagnerien, "SMz", 1961, (Jahrg.) 101; Mainka J., Sonatenform, Leitmotiv und Charakterbegleitung, "Beiträge zur Musikwissenschaft", 1963, Jahrg. 5, H. 1.

G. V. Krauklis

In art theory, many terms overlap. They are used to denote different or similar concepts. Let's look at the meaning of the word leitmotif. This is a polysemantic term that is used in different types of art to characterize certain aspects, for example, leitmotif in music. This is usually the name for the periodic repetition of the same expressive fragment throughout the entire work.

This technique was introduced into music theory by Richard Wagner. Without using this term, he used musical element: repeating fragments of sounds in one’s operas in order to create the integrity of the work, enhance the semantic load of the melody and the emotional impact on listeners.

It was this term that G. Wolzogen used when describing Wagner’s work. This is the name given to an element of a piece of music that is repeated at equal intervals of time. This is a detail that, through repeated repetition, sets the general tone, the idea of ​​the entire melody.

But music theory Even earlier attempts to use the principle of repetition are known: in 1607, Monteverdi used a similar technique in Orpheus, but at that time it could not gain a foothold due to cultural and historical features development of musical art.

Later the term spread to other forms of art:

• theater,
• literature,
• choreography,
• architecture,
• painting.

They began to actively use it in everyday life, using it to denote the main idea, cyclically repeating events, phenomena in human life and different aspects his activities.

Functions

The leitmotif performs the following functions:

• expressive and semantic: helps to emphasize important ideological and thematic aspects of the work, to focus on details;
• constructive: unifies the work thematically, creates unity of text or melody

These functions are characteristic of the leitmotif in both music and literature.

In prose and poetry

IN works of art leitmotif is an important compositional element of the text.

It is expressed through:

• a detail that is repeated throughout the story;
• an artistic image, which is the main one through which the theme and idea of ​​the text is revealed;
• through intonation (this applies to poetic texts);
• description of the characters’ experiences, their thoughts.

Keynote in music

It can be noted that such a concept in literary works is modified and transformed. In voluminous texts, several leitmotifs can intertwine and complement each other.

The first to use musical techniques in literature were C. Baudelaire and S. Mallarmé. They used not only lexical meanings different words, but also their stylistic possibilities for enhancing the semantic impact of texts on readers.

Interesting! It is important to distinguish between the concepts of “theme” and “leitmotif”: in literary theory one can find a mixture of these terms.

A topic is something that goes beyond the text. The leitmotif is what the theme is embodied in; it is a structural component of the composition, sets the overall emotional tone of the literary work, and embodies its main idea.

An example of a leitmotif in literature is the sound of a breaking string in P. Chekhov’s work “ The Cherry Orchard" This could be a word or phrase that is repeated over and over again. For example, in the poem “My Pedigree” there are the lines: “Noise, noise, obedient sail...”. In “The Search for Lost Time” by M. Proust, a recurring detail is Madeleine cookies, which the author constantly recalls: this image symbolizes childhood, lost time, days that remain in memory.

Note! Poetry, as the closest type of literature to music, is most closely intertwined with the concept of leitmotif.

IN poetic texts The following types are distinguished:

• intonational - repetition of intonational elements: questions, rhetorical exclamations, appeals;
• sound – repetition of identical sounds, sound combinations. Implemented through the use of rhyme, stylistic figures: anaphors, ;
• lexical – repetition of the same words or word forms with similar sounds.

Leitmotifs in poems appear not only at the level of content, but also at the level of form, which is especially clearly observed in classical poems.

What is a leitmotif image: let’s give examples from the texts. This is the key image that runs through the entire narrative through various details and elements of the text. For example, in the novel by Charles Dickens “ Big hopes“We can highlight the leitmotiv image of hope as the main idea. This image from the first pages becomes an integral part of the main character, accompanies him throughout the development of the plot and at the moment of climax is revealed to the maximum: dashed hopes are the key point in the development of the leitmotif.

IN " American tragedy"T. Dreiser, one of the leitmotif images is the image of Roberta, who goes from lover to victim, and through her the facets of the character of another are revealed important character- Clyde. Her image serves as a litmus test for describing the decency of the protagonist; in his attitude towards her, he reveals his aspirations and dreams. The leitmotif of her image in in this case lies in the fact that it becomes a cross-cutting element of the essay: the influence of the heroine on the course of the narrative persists even after her death. This is how it is preserved main criterion leitmotif - repetition.

Useful video: keynote

Transferring meaning to other areas

In Ozhegov’s dictionary, this concept is also defined as something that “runs like a red thread through something.” This value helped musical term become part of people's daily lives. They call it the main idea different types human activity.

For example, this concept is actively used in design, defining the leitmotif of photography, interior design or weddings. In choreography it is used to indicate the main idea of ​​the dance, and in in social networks you can even find this word as a name for the main concept of a blog or information resource.

This means that the essence of the concept expands significantly over time and it is quite acceptable to use it where the main idea or theme should be highlighted.

LEITMOTHIO

LEITMOTIVA, -a, m.

1. The main motif repeated in piece of music.

2. trans.

3. Repeated in some way. the main idea of ​​the work. trans.

| The basic idea is what passes through something. red thread. L. presentation of the report. adj.

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, paradigm (word forms) , -th, -th (to 1 value). in other dictionaries

Paradigm, word forms

- Complete accentuated paradigm according to A. A. Zaliznyak

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif l

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif e

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif motive,

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif motives,

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif motive,

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif motives,

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif l

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif e

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif the motive,

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif to motives,

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif with the motive

paradigm, forms of the word LEITMOTHIO leitmotif motives,

+ , -th, -th (to 1 value). itmotive, motives- T.F. Efremova

New dictionary

- Complete accentuated paradigm according to A. A. Zaliznyak

Russian language. Explanatory and word-formative what is LEITMOTHIVE keynote

V m. 1) A musical phrase repeated in a piece of music as a characteristic or

symbol

+ , -th, -th (to 1 value). character, object, phenomenon, etc. 2) transfer The main point, the leading idea, repeatedly repeated, emphasized. - Modern»

New dictionary

LEITMOTHIO

Dictionary

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New dictionary

LEITMOTHIO

1. Soviet Encyclopedia

2. (German leitmotiv, lit. - leading motive), a musical phrase repeated in a musical work as a characteristic or symbol of a character, object, phenomenon, idea, emotion. Used with con. 18th century in opera, since the 19th century. - in ballet and program instrumental music. R. Wagner used a complex system of leitmotifs in his operas. The term “leitmotif” also has a broader meaning: as a definition of the dominant principle in human activity, in a chain of events.- Dictionary of foreign words

+ , -th, -th (to 1 value).- Small Academic Dictionary of the Russian Language

The term leitmotif has German roots (Leitmotiv) and is translated as “leading motive.” IN musical creativity it is a distinctive theme or phrase that describes a character in a ballet or opera. The leitmotif characterizes the characteristics of a character or a certain dramatic scene in different episodes of the work. It is repeated several times throughout the action.

Operatic meaning of the word leitmotif

Wikipedia reports that the first author who was able to implement this message inside his works, became Richard Wagner, famous German composer. Thanks to this discovery, his music acquired an all-consuming continuity of action.

The author himself never used the designation “leitmotif”. In 1871, musicologist and teacher from Germany F. Jens began to use this word for the first time. A. G. Wolzogen widely used the term to analyze Wagner's work.

In music, the leitmotif serves not only emotional function, but acts as a formative and unifying category. According to the degree of skill development opera music the term began to play an increasingly significant role. Its principle was already outlined in the very early work Monteverdi "Orpheus". In Scarlatti and Lully, the leitmotif is revealed in a rudimentary form, and slips through only in minor fragments. IN late XVIII this century musical image acquires makes a lot of sense in Mozart's later operas and works French composers revolutionary era.

The term is clearly established during the period development of musical romanticism and becomes the main means of realizing the idea of ​​a particular opera. In the works there is a clash of two opposing forces and the emergence of contrast to depict dramatic development.

Wagner develops operas based on complete leitmotifs. In his later works this musical image reflects the most important episodes and thoroughly permeates the polyphonic component.

On a note! Since the oversaturation of a work with these musical categories could weaken the perception of the whole, in Wagner's time the authors reduced the excessive complexity.

Term in choreography

The first beginnings of the leitmotif in ballet music were visible in A. Adam’s “Giselle” (1841), and, three decades later, this principle was most successfully introduced in L. Delibes’ “Coppelli” and the works of P. I. Tchaikovsky. The genre itself will soon gave rise to a specific problem- choreographic. To do this, ballet uses pas ballote - a very difficult technique to perform that requires great strength. Choreographic and musical synthesis was successfully created in the works Soviet authors(Khachaturian, Grigorovich, Prokofiev).

Leitmotif in instrumental music

The motive principle plays one of the roles here. critical roles. This technique dates back to the times of harpsichord playing, and was later significantly exalted by the authors of Viennese classicism. For example, in Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique the leitmotif, changing, permeates all five movements. This musical image is established as a portrait characteristic of the main character, but sometimes serves the design, moving away from personification.

Over the two-century history of the leitmotif, the principle characterizes more suitable for playing instruments than for vocal parts, due to harmony and a wider spectrum of action.

What is a leitmotif in a literary context?

Here the word leitmotif means one of the main structural elements of the text. The principle of static repetition can be found already on the pages ancient epic in Homer. The leitmotif is most important factor, which plays the role of not only a reminder, but also becomes the main component of the work.

French symbolists, including Baudelaire and Mallarmé, made attempts to transfer musical techniques to the field of manuscripts. The authors sought to go beyond the usual rational meaning of words and discover a broader meaning, just as a melody does.

The role of the leitmotif is automatically reduced or increased due to the stage expression of the dramaturgy itself. For a principle to truly become a key factor, it requires repeated repetition and variation in different formations, giving all new colors to one character. Because of this, the leitmotif is filled with associations and acquires a certain semblance of symbolism, which allows it to be isolated from the main presentation. The figurative embodiment of the work’s theme and problematics is ensured thanks to a system of main motives.

Term in a poem

To determine the basis of the work, you should look at one of the most important classifications: love, fate, death, beauty. However, only a specific topic in a poem is not enough; here a synthesis of many problems is more common.

The leitmotif in this type of literature has direct foundation and contains elements of the work. Having identified it, it will easily reveal the prerequisites. The basis of the entire poem is the first bursts, impulses responsible for the initial and subsequent impression. The forms that follow gradually enter awareness. Each phrase in poetic work has its own place, and its impact is predetermined even before reading begins.

The leitmotif is a term proposed in the late 1870s by the German musicologist G. P. von Wolzogen to characterize the orchestral polyphony of R. Wagner’s “Ring of the Nibelung”; subsequently began to be used in literary criticism. In symphonic, instrumental music and opera, a leitmotif is a relatively short structure that serves as a characteristic of a character, phenomenon, emotion or abstract concept. The leitmotif technique in music was already used by A. Grétry, W. A. ​​Mozart, L. Cherubini, however wide application the leitmotif receives in the 19th century. First of all, this applies to the musical dramas of R. Wagner, who is considered the founder of the leitmotif system. Like many romantics, Wagner was worried about the idea of ​​a “synthesis of arts,” which he interpreted as similar to the unity of words and music in ancient tragedy. Opera reform Wagner's music, conceived as the embodiment of this idea, required a special structure of the musical fabric. Individual opera numbers were replaced by a continuous stream of music, built on the alternation of contrasting “plastic motifs” - characteristics of “nature and human natures" According to Wagner, these motives are “each in the course of his individual development- must develop into bearers of passionate aspirations that direct a multi-branched action, and characters who express themselves in this action” (Wagner R. Articles and materials).

Leitmotif in literary criticism

In literary criticism, the leitmotif is one of the main structural elements of the text.: a repeating detail, a figurative turn of phrase, intonation (leutintonation), which arises as a way of characterizing a character, position, or experience. The leitmotif can vary, change; several leitmotifs contrast each other, intertwine, flow into one another, forming a system. The method of application of the system of leitmotifs by a particular writer or school or genre should be defined as leitmotif technique. The use of leitmotif techniques in the novel genre is usually associated with the works of L. Tolstoy, Charles Dickens, G. Flaubert, French naturalists, and especially novelists of the 20th century. (A. Bely, T. Mann, J. Joyce, F. Kafka, T. Wolfe), where the problem of “synthesis of the arts” was replaced by the problem of the analogy of literature with music. First transfer attempts musical techniques to the region literary creativity were undertaken by the French symbolists (C. Baudelaire, S. Mallarmé). They sought, “not content with the “dictionary”, purely “rational” meaning of lexical units... to reveal their full potential and thereby maximize the semantic impact of the poem” (Kosikov G. Two paths of French post-romanticism... Poetry of French symbolism.). Hence their interest in modern achievements music, in particular, to Wagnerian musical drama. In Russian literature, an example of a symbolist work built on a system of leitmotifs is A. Bely’s “Symphony” (1902-08). The leitmotif can be formed in replicas characters, introduced by stage means (the sound of a broken string in “The Cherry Orchard”, 1904, by A.P. Chekhov).

Stage interpretation dramatic work allows you to emphasize or reduce the role of the leitmotif. Comparing the leitmotif technique of “Metamorphosis” (1916), “In Search of Lost Time” (1913-27) and “Ulysses” (1922), V. Nabokov comes to the conclusion that in Kafka and Proust it is present along with other techniques, while Joyce's entire text is a “pattern of repeating themes” (Nabokov V.V. Lectures on foreign literature). The ways in which leitmotif techniques can be used are varied; Already in ancient epic poetry one can find a repetition of a static leitmotif. Moreover, it not only serves as a “reminder”, but is, according to the concept of the “epic formula” of M. Perry - A. Lord, one of the main compositional elements epic poem. However, outside of epic poetry, the technique of repetition of static leitmotifs, helping to compare each given event with earlier or later events, does not endow the given event with additional, symbolic meaning. The repetition of static leitmotifs can also be used to stylize or parody an epic narrative. The leitmotif can become a truly structural factor in the narrative in the process of variation, when it is repeatedly reproduced in different situations, applied to different characters, each time receiving a new emotional coloring (for example, the image of the starry sky at the end of each chapter of T. Wilder’s novel “The Bridge of King Saint Louis”, 1927). As a result, the leitmotif acquires associations and becomes not just a visible reflection of the theme, but also a symbol. In its symbolic quality, the leitmotif is capable of acquiring a certain independence from the topic. The terms "" and leitmotif are often confused. The theme of a literary work is outside the text and is embodied in the leitmotif, which is direct structural element text. The leitmotif system of the work provides a figurative embodiment of themes and issues in the text.

In more in a broad sense the leitmotif is the main thought, idea, emotional tone of a literary work or the work of a given author.

The word leitmotif comes from German Leitmotiv, which means leading motive.